Display rack



Filed. Sept. 16, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor miier EHzz/ZZ W. E. HULL DISPLAY RACK May 30, 1939.

Filed Sept. 16, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IVd Zier EHwZZ or Mam A iiorneys May 30, 1939. w E. HULL DISPLAY RACK Filed Sept. 16, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Inuenfi PIG/Z3 62 EHvZZ Aiforneys W. E. HULL DISPLAY RACK May 30, 1939.

Filed Sept. 16, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 A llinrnc us Patented May 30, 1939 umreo s rATEs PATENT OFFICE 2,166,102 nrsrmr anon Walter E. El, Galveston, Tex. Application September 16, 1937, Serial No. 164,254

5 car. (or. 211-49) V Figure 10 is a fragmentary view in perspective My invention relates to combined display and dispensing racks for use in stores and the like.

The primary purpose of the invention is to provide an inexpensive practical device of this character equipped to display a maximum amount of merchandise, such as canned goods, cartons, bags and packages, of different sizes in a minimum amount of space for convenient selfservice by customers, and which is adapted to be loaded from the rear for gravity feed of the merchandise to the front.

Another object is to provide a device of the character and for the purposes above set forth equipped with merchandise dispensing chutes, all of a type, mounted and arranged for use either singly or in pairs, so that packages, or other containers, of a wide variety of sizes may be supported and fed therein, thereby obviating the use of a large number of chutes of difierent types or kinds.

Still another object is to provide in a device of this character improved means for adjustably supporting the chutes in inclined position and varying the angle of inclination as desired.

My invention also comprehends various other objects, all of which, together with the exact nature of my improvements, will be readily understood when the following description and claims are read with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrative of a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In said drawings:

Figure l is a view in front elevation, partly broken away, of a rack constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation looking at the right hand side of the rack.

Figure 3 is a view in transverse section of one of the auxiliary chute supporting frames and one of the chutes.

Figure l is a fragmentary view in longitudinal section, partly in side elevation, of the front end of one of the auxiliary chute supporting frames.

Figure 5 is a view in horizontal section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a view in top plan of the rear end of one of said chutes.

Figure 7 is a view in perspective of the front end of one of said chutes.

Figure 8 is a view in transverse section of one of the chutes illustrating the manner in which a can is supported therein.

Figure 9 is a similar view illustrating the use of a pair of the chutes in combination to support a package.

of one of the legs of the rack.

Figure 11 is a detail horizontal sectional view taken on the line H-ll of Figure 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 12 is a perspective view of one of the bolts used in seeming the device together.-

Referring to the drawings by numerals, the basic elements of the rack of my inventionare a main frame i, a plurality of auxiliary chute supporting frames 2 disposed one above the other, and a plurality of merchandise feeding chutes 58.

The main frame I is of rectangular skeleton form and comprises front and rear hollow corner legs '41 and 5 substantially square in cross-section and each formed of a single piece of sheet metal bent upon itself to provide a slot 6 extending longitudinally and centrally throughout the length of the leg along the outer side face thereof, and inturned edge flanges l extending along opposite sides of the slot 6. The flanges l are formed along their inner free edges with square equi-distantly spaced notches 8 arranged in opposed vertically spaced pairs. The bottom of each leg *3 or 5 is closed by a flap 9 bent under the same. A headed set screw i0 is threaded, in inverted position, through each flap Q with lock nuts ll disposed thereon so that by adjusting these screws 9 the main frame i may be set flush on an uneven floor. The legs 6 and 5 at opposite sides of the frame are connected together by a pair of upper and lower transverse bars i2 and it of angle iron form secured to their respective legs against the outer sides thereof by bolts i6 and nuts lb. The bolts shown in Figures 18 and 20, are provided with rectangular heads 56 fitting into the legs d-and 5, the heads having upper and lower recesses 41 and i8 therein and a central key web l9, whereby they are adapted to span the flanges l and fit into one of the pairs of aforementioned notches 8. A pair of diagonal crossed braces 20 further secure the front and rear legs #3 and 5 together on opposite sides of said frame 0. Extending between the rear legs 5 are upper and lower longitudinal connecting bars 2| and 22, similar tobars l2 and 83, which are secured to said legs in any suitable manner.

The front legs 4 are connected together in the same manner by similar bars (not shown). A corrugated sheet metal top plate 23 is secured to the bars I2 by suitable means (not shown), and a similar type shelf 24 to the lower bars i3. Extending between the front legs 4 at the lower ends thereof, and suitably secured thereto, is a corrugated sheet metal lower front plate 25 forming together with the shelf 24 a trough 26 for a purpose presently seen. A plate 21 of S-shape in cross-section is secured to. the upper front of the frame I, in any suitable manner, to extend across the same, said plate having a forwardly and downwardly bent upper edge 23 housing electric lights, as at 23. and an outwardly bulging lower edge 33 along which is secured as by cementing a channeled bar 3i forming a price or information tag holder illuminated by said lights.

The auxiliary chute supporting frames 2 being identical in construction, a description of one will sufflce for all. Each frame 2 comprises a pair of side bars 32 of angle iron form, a rear cross-bar 33 connecting the rear ends of the pair of bars 32 together on top of the latter, and a front frame member 34. Each frame 2 is secured to the legs 4 and on the outer sides thereof in forwardly and downwardly inclined position and by means of a pair of slots 35 formed in one web thereof intermediate the ends of the bars 32 and bolt and nut assemblies 36 similar to bolts I4 and nuts I5. Manifestly, by adjustment of the bolt and nut assemblies 36 relative to different notches 3 in the legs 4 and 5, each frame 2 may be adiusted as regards height and angular inclination. The rear bar 33 is of inverted V-shaped form in cross-section, bolted to the side bars 32, as at 31, and providing a downwardly and forwardly inclined front face 38 on said bars. A channel bar 39 is secured to the rear face of the rear bar 33 for holding information or price tag, as desired. The front member 34 comprises a hollow metallic bar closed at its ends and having a flat rear face 40 considerably wider than the ends of the side bars 32 and upper and lower flanges 4| and 42 extending along the edges of said face 40. Within the front member 34 is a longitudinally and centrally disposed rod 43 secured at its opposite ends, as by spot welding, not shown, to the opposite ends of said member. The front member 34 is secured, at its opposite ends, to the main side bars 32 by means of a pair of clamping rings 44, seated in grooves 45 in opposite ends of said rod 43, respectively, and each having a pair of radial ears 46 extending through a slot 41 in the rear face 40 of the member 34 and bolted to the front end of the related side bar, as at 48, whereby each ring is clamped around said rod 43 and to the related side bar 32. The rings 44 adjustably clamp the front member 34 in a position such that the rear face 40 thereof is substantially at a right angle to the plane of the frame 2 in which position said face 43 and the rear face 38 converge downwardly for a purpose presently seen. Channel bars 43 are affixed to the front of the front member 34 for containing price tags or the like.

Each frame 2 is designed to support a plurality cf merchandise supporting chutes 50 extending from the rear bar 33 to the front member 34 between the sides of the main frame I.

Since each chute 50 is substantially a counterpart of the other, a description of one will suffice. Each chute 50 comprises a trough 50 substantially V-shaped in cross-section and provided with similarly shaped front and rear endmembers 5| and 52 of rubber into which the opposite ends of the trough are extended, as shown in Figures 9 and 11. The front end of the trough 50' is secured to the front member 5| by means of brackets 53 suitably secured to the said end and to the side edges of the member 5|. The rear end of the trough 50 is secured to the rear end of member 52 by means of a V-shaped bracket 54 of right angle form in cross-section suitably affixed to the inside of said trough and to said member 52. Preferably the end members 5| and 52 extend beyond the sides of the trough for a purpose presently clear. The front member 5! is provided with a reduced free upper edge 55 forming a flexible lip at the front of the chute. The purpose of this edge or lip 55 is to provide a yielding bumper against which cans may feed by gravity from the rear end of the chute. The rear member 52 has extended therethrough, centrally thereof and from the outer side of said end, a headed bolt 53 adapted to be locked in adjusted positions in said member by means of lock nut 51 engaging opposite sides of said member 52, respectively. A plurality of the described chutes 50 are designed to be frictionally locked in the frame 2 by wedging the headed bolt 53 against the face 38 of the rear bar 33 and the front face of the front member 5| against the rear face 43 of the front member 34. As previously explained, the faces 33 and 43 converge downwardly so that said bolt 56 and end member 5| may-be wedged downwardly therein. In this connection the rear end member 52 provides for yielding action of the headed bolt 55 whereby each chute may be frictionally locked in the manner described in its fame in different inclined positions and also rotated in the frame into diflerent positions, as desired.

It may be stated at this point that the described frames 2 are of different lengths, that is to say, they decrease in length successively from the bottom frame up so that the front and rear ends of each frame may be arranged to extend beyond corresponding ends of the next higher frame. Manifestly, the chutes 53 are of correspondingly different lengths in each frame 2. The described flanges 4land 42 on the front member 34 serve to confine the front end member 51 of the trough 53 against the rear face 40.

Adjacent the lower right hand corner is a merchandise return chute 53 suspended at its front end, as at 53, on the lower flange 42 of the lowermost member 34 and inclining downwardly from said member and rearwardly through a suitable aperture 63 in the plate 25 into the before mentioned trough 26, A cover BI is hinged at 62 to the outer end of said return chute 53.

Referring briefly to the use of the invention, for displaying and dispensing canned goods, the chutes 50 are arranged open side uppermost at the desired inclination in the frames 2 and in selected spaced apart side-by-side relation and loaded from the rear side of the rack from which said cans 53 gravitate to the front ends of the chutes, as will be clear.

By virtue of the described difference. in the length of the frames 2, and chutes 50, the rear end of each frame 2 and the related chute 50 are readily accessible for loading and the front can 33 in each chute readily visible to a customer passing by the front of the rack. Also, by virtue of the described arrangement of the frames 2 and chutes 53, the foremost can 53 may be easily removed from any chute 53 to be immediately replaced by a succeeding can gravitating into place. Cans not desired after inspection may be returned through the merchandise return chute 58 in the trough 23 for disposal by an attendant. The described channel bars 43 and 33 at the front and rear of the frames 2 provide for the use of identical price tags at the front and rear of the rack, whereby loading of the chutes 2 from the rear of the rack with wrong merchandise is obviated.

As shown in Figure 9, two continuous chutes 50 may be rotated in their frames 2 to form in combination a substantially rectangular chute for containing and feeding oblong or other shaped packages or cartons 64.

The invention will, it is believed, be clear from the foregoing without further explanation.

Manifestly, the form of the invention disclosed is susceptible of modifications without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to all such modifications falling within the scope of the subjoined claims.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus of the class described comprising a main frame including side pairsof front and rear corner legs, a plurality of auxiliary rectangular frames secured to said pairs of legs in vertically spaced relation and in forwardly and downwardly inclined position, said auxiliary frames decreasing in size successively from the bottom frame and being relatively centered whereby the front and rear ends of each lower frame extend beyond corresponding ends of the next higher frame, a plurality of merchandise containing chutes removably mounted side-by-side in each frame to extend between the front and rear ends thereof, and means to adjust each chute in its related auxiliary frame independently into different inclined positions therein.

2. Apparatus of the class described comprising a main frame including side pairs of front and rear corner legs, a plurality of auxiliary rectangular frames secured to said pairs of legs ,in vertically spaced relation and in forwardly and downwardly inclined position, said auxiliary frames decreasing in size successively from the bottom frame and being relatively centered whereby the front and rear ends of each lower frame extend beyond corresponding ends of the next higher frame, a plurality of merchandise containing chutes removably mounted side-byside in each frame to extend between the front and rear ends thereof, and means to adjust each chute in its related auxiliary frame independently into different inclined positions therein, the chutes in each frame being of the same crosssectional shape and independently rotatable for use in opposed pairs to form a larger chute.

3. Apparatus of the class described comprising a main frame including side pairs of front and rear corner legs, an auxiliary rectangular frame including side bars and a front and rear bar, respectively, the side bars being secured to said pairs of legs in inclined position, and the front and rear bars having opposed downwardly converging faces, and a plurality of chutes extending endwise between said front and rear bars in side-by-side, relation and each having yielding end members for wedging engagement with said converging faces, respectively.

4. Apparatus of the class described comprising a main frame including side pairs of front and rear corner legs, an auxiliary rectangular frame including side bars and a front and rear bar, respectively, the side bars being secured to said pairs of legs in inclined position, and the front and rear bars having opposed downwardly converging faces, and a plurality of chutes extending endwise between said front and rear bars in side-by-side relation and each having a front end of resilient material for wedging engagement with the face of the front bar, and a. rear end of resilient material having a headed bolt extending therefrom for wedging engagement with the face of the rear bar.

5. Apparatus of the class described comprising a main frame including side pairs of front and rear corner legs, a plurality of auxiliary rectangular frames secured to said pairs of legs in vertically spaced relation and in forwardly and downwardly inclined position, said auxiliary frames decreasing in size successively from the bottom frame and being relatively centered whereby the front and rear ends of each lower frame extend beyond corresponding ends of the next higher frame, a plurality of merchandise containing 1 chutes removably mounted side-by-side in each frame to extend between the front and rear ends thereof, and means to adjust each chute in its related auxiliary frame independently into different inclined positions therein, the front and rear ends of each frame and the ends of each chute therein being provided with coengaging devices coacting to frictionally lock said chutes in said different positions.

WALTER. E. HULL. 

